Inter Player Ratings vs Milan: De Vrij Spares Nerazzurri’s Blushes | OneFootball

Inter failed to beat fierce rivals Milan in the third Derby della Madonnina edition this season but at least avoided defeat. Simone Inzaghi must have had a sense of deja vu when his side trailed by a goal ‘to nil’ heading into second-half stoppages, only to eke out a last-gasp 1-1 draw.

Firmly embroiled in an intense Serie A title race with Napoli, Inter entered this revenge-poised fixture eager to settle the account with Milan after a Supercoppa Italiana heartbreak last month. However, the reigning Scudetto holders faltered in the first half.

Despite winning five of their six matches in the build-up, Inter couldn’t muster any promising scoring chance in the first half. Things went from bad to worse when Tijjani Reijnders fired home a close-range rebound to put Milan ahead on the cusp of halftime.

Losing wasn’t an option for Inter, as they continue to play catch-up on Antonio Conte’s pacesetters. Therefore, the Nerazzurri started the second half on the front foot, keeping Milan deep into their opening third while creating several sitters.

But after hitting the woodwork three times, it looked like Inter could suffer another derby defeat. Winter signing Nicola Zalewski and defensive stalwart Stefan de Vrij thought otherwise. The former chested the ball down for the Dutch center-back, who turned it home to seal a draw.

Let’s look at our Inter ratings.

Inter (3-5-2)

Yann Sommer – 7.5

Rarely tested, the Swiss goalkeeper made two exquisite stops to deny Rafael Leao and Reijnders before the Dutchman’s close-range thunderbolt finally broke through.

Benjamin Pavard – 7

The French star expertly dealt with Leao and was calm and collected in possession, delivering a defensive masterclass.

Stefan de Vrij – 7.5

The former Lazio defender gave Inter another reason to extend his expiring contract, netting a crucial equalizer.

Alessandro Bastoni – 6.5

Christian Pulisic gave the Italian ace a run for his money, but Bastoni held his ground, though his trademark diagonal balls were not as accurate as expected.

Federico Dimarco – 6

Going past Kyle Walker proved a tall order for the highly-rated wingback, who struggled to contribute much in attack since seeing his early goal disallowed for offside.

Henrikh Mkhitaryan – 6

His work ethic and commitment were commendable, but he wasn’t the offensive spark Inter needed to break Milan’s low defensive block.

Hakan Calhanoglu – 6

Back to the starting XI after a month-long spell on the sidelines, the Turkish playmaker was slightly beneath his high standard.

Nicolo Barella – 6.5

Tireless runs from the diminutive midfielder kept Inter’s often inert engine room ticking over in torrid moments.

Denzel Dumfries – 7

The Dutchman outperformed his arch-nemesis, Theo Hernandez, but was unlucky to finish the game with nothing to show for it as his first-time effort rattled off the post.

Lautaro Martinez – 6.5

El Toro’s formidable scoring run ended tonight as an offside position denied him an early opener. However, he was a menace!

Marcus Thuram – 6

The French megastar saw better days at Inter. He failed to impact the play and had a rough time against Fikayo Tomori.

Substitutes

Yann Bisseck – 7

Piotr Zielinski – 6.5